A smash hit

If you play tennis or even just watch tennis and you live in Southern California, then you know that our annual pilgrimage to the desert is nigh.

The BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden begins Monday.

The question is: What wonders await us?

Will we see Rafael Nadal, absent since his knees betrayed him at Wimbledon last summer, return to his former glory?

Will world No. 1 Novak Djokovic once again tear off his shirt in victory?

Will the Bryan Brothers finally win the one ATP Masters 1000 doubles title that has eluded them?

Can Victoria Azarenka repeat on the women's side?

And, perhaps even more importantly, where should we meet for dinner?

The BNP Paribas Open is a time for two weeks of up-close, world-class tennis, yes, but also a time for our tribe of tennis junkies and flunkies, the club weekend warriors, to gather in the desert sun for sleepovers and frozen margaritas (Indian Wells' answer to Wimbledon's Pimm's Cup).

The charm of Indian Wells is that while it is the most attended tournament in the world (370,000 last year) outside the four Grand Slams (earning it the nickname “the fifth slam”), it has kept its laid-back Cali-charm.

And that's another reason this would be a good year to get out there.

Tournament officials announced plans last week to turn the outdoor Stadium 2 into a permanent 8,000-seat stadium with two restaurants. Indian Wells already has one of the largest main stadiums (seating 16,000) for the marquee matches; too large, I think.

Hopefully, this isn't a trend.

It's the seven outdoor courts with bleacher seating and views of the sun-splashed Santa Rosa Mountains that I think are the heart of the tournament. They're so intimate, there is simply no bad seat – you're close enough to hear Andy Murray cussing himself out or read Janko Tipsarevic's tattoos.

You also can lurk around the practice courts to watch your favorite tennis stars work on serves. Or just completely fan out and follow around the TV cameras that are following the likes of John Isner and Maria Sharapova.

I recommend getting a general admission grounds pass for $38 to $52 (depending on the day), which lets you court-hop; but buy it before road-tripping out there in case they're sold out.

The weekend of March 9 and 10 is always mobbed, so if you don't like crowds and you can play hooky from work or school, go on Monday the 11th or Tuesday the 12th when there are still a lot of matches but not so many fans.

For the first time, Tennis Channel will have a news desk set up outside the main stadium where, starting Friday, Hall of Famer Tracy Austin and sportscaster Brett Haber will do a 30-minute “Live at the BNP” show each morning before play starts, a la “Breakfast at the Open.” Laguna Beach's own former No. 1, Lindsay Davenport, will be on the grounds for the channel, interviewing players and celebs.

This is also a good year to see some of America's rising stars, from Sloane Stephens to Madison Keys and Christina McHale.

And it will be the first time Nadal returns to the Masters tennis stage since last summer, when he exited Wimbledon with knee problems after being upset in the second round, which means it will be the first time that Nadal, Djokovic, Murray and defending champion Roger Federer, will be back in the same event since last July.

The Tennis Garden is a two-hour drive from Orange County, so you can go out there for just the day.

If you want to stay the night, call first because hotels began booking up months ago. You still should be able to swing lodging for a weeknight, though. And if you are lucky enough to snag a room at one of the resorts, like the Hyatt Grand Champion or Esmerelda next to the tournament grounds, you will probably find yourself bumping into tennis stars at the breakfast buffet.

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